Eleventh Hour
by Balefire1
Summary: She was in every way out of reach, but he couldn't seem to repress the hope that somehow, there would be another chance. ShawnAngela.
1. Playing the Game

**Author Note**: Hi! Yay for first BMW fics! Anyways, this might work fine as a standalone, but I could continue it, as well. Let me know if it would be better to end it here or to go on.

**Chapter 1**

The electricity was out. New York had been receiving a barrage of unearthly snow storms lately, and this was the fourth time this week the electrical lines had been affected. Snow and wind pounded the walls and windows of the brick, high-rise apartment, taking it hostage against public view. The skies had turned black before dinner time, and the two feet of snow smothering the ground was more slush than anything else; it was generally an unpleasant evening filled with biting cold and angry heavens. But Shawn didn't mind. In fact, he thought this night was perfect.

The shadows cast by the two lone candles in the room were searing as they moved against each other, each fighting for dominance and the right to claim and possess. There wasn't much room for breathing, because it was like all the air had been sucked from the room, leaving only heat and want and a maybe a hint of pain. One shadow moved this way, and the other would counter; the bedroom was a battle field tonight, but neither shadow seemed to mind because they never stopped playing the game.

Shawn's mind always felt rather clouded during sex; he figured it was because he was male and that lust could take control of him when nothing else could. It surprised him tonight because for some reason, he was seeing the world in perfect clarity as she moved beneath him, clinging to him like she was drowning and he was the last thing that could save her. He had never known that there could be beauty or perfection like her, and the thought of it left him breathless as he kissed his way across her shoulder and her slender fingers found their way into his hair. She titled his head up and caught his eye briefly before she pulled him back down, pressing her lips against his. It went on for a long time and only ended because one of them seemed to remember that air was important.

Shawn watched her face as she closed her eyes and lay her head back, and he knew there was nothing else in the world that could compare to the expression on her face. He just couldn't take his eyes off her. It was no wonder the electricity was out all over town, Shawn thought; they had stolen it, and the crackling energy shimmered violently between their bodies.

It wasn't long before he completed her, and her cry was muffled only a little by her lips being pressed against his neck. He followed her, and the world spun and crashed in the instant of perfect connection. Shawn thought he could go insane from the way this felt, but he knew he would welcome it if somehow, he could feel this way again. Eventually, the world slowed down and stopped spinning, and Shawn's eyes came back into focus. The first clear thing he saw were her eyes gazing up into his, and he felt his heart stop. Their breathing slowed, and the candles melted, but his eyes refused to leave hers for a long, long time. Finally, Shawn broke the gaze and kissed her softly, his lips barely touching hers. He felt her smile slightly against him.

She fell asleep eventually, her eyes shut against the world, but not necessarily against him. Careful not to disturb her, Shawn slid out from between the sheets quietly and went to stand by the window. The candles had gone out long ago, but the heat in the room was not at all diminished. He leaned against the wall and watched her sleep, letting his eyes trace every curve. Almost an hour went by before Shawn left the wall and knelt down beside the bed. He didn't want to sleep because he was determined to memorize her – they way she looked, the way she breathed, the way she felt in his arms. As his eyes settled on her face, Shawn felt a slow burn begin in his heart and spread to every part of his body. She was beautiful, but he couldn't deny the truth. It hurt to look at her, just like it hurt to touch her tonight. He could feel his breathing speed up as he struggled to stay calm and forget what exactly was going on here, because losing himself in this night would only serve to kill him later.

But how was he supposed to feel? What was he supposed to do, knowing – despite the perfection of this night – that in the morning, she would be gone? How could he still his heart knowing that the woman he loved belonged to someone else? Shawn reached out and traced the line of her face with the back of his fingers. She stirred quietly and pressed against his hand in her sleep, and Shawn felt his heart shatter for the fifth time that night. It hurt. It hurt so bad he could barely think, but in the end of it, what could he do? For once, no one in his life could provide him with an answer.

Shawn slowly crawled back into bed. She snuggled against him for more warmth, making him smile. He lowered his head and kissed her temple softly before wrapping his arms around her body; god, how he loved the feel of her skin pressed against his. He forced the pain back and locked it away somewhere, because feeling all that right now was not what he wanted to do. True, tomorrow would come and she would be gone. Tomorrow, the sun would set in his heart, and his world would end; tomorrow was a future promising pain. But it wasn't tomorrow yet, and Shawn banished the idea of any tomorrow from his mind. It was tonight, and tonight – he felt her breathing against him – tonight, she belonged to him.

Or at least he could pretend.


	2. Worlds Apart

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! You asked for a continuation, so here were go ) Just to keep things clear, the following few chapters will be told in flashback form, so the first chapter is not the first thing that happens. The story really begins here, which chapter 2.

**In the last chapter….**

_True, tomorrow would come and she would be gone. Tomorrow, the sun would set in his heart, and his world would end; tomorrow was a future promising pain. But it wasn't tomorrow yet, and Shawn banished the idea of any tomorrow from his mind. It was tonight, and tonight – he felt her breathing against him – tonight, she belonged to him. Or at least he could pretend._

**Chapter 2: Worlds Apart**

She brushed her lips against his.

"Thank you – for letting me be selfish."

Angela was so close; he thought he felt his heart stop. Oh God. Already, things weren't going the way he planned, and he found himself struggling to find words.

"N-no, not you," Shawn managed to stutter. "-me."

He found himself staring into her eyes and knew that she was staring right back into his, waiting for him. Angela could always read him, no matter how invulnerable he thought he was or how well he thought he concealed the thoughts that clashed like bitter enemies inside his head. Shawn wondered if she was reading him now, if she could trace the words in his head as if she were running her finger down a page in some book; her gaze was intense, and he found that his hands were shaking as they rested on her hips. Oh God, he was terrified. But he had to ask her, or he would regret it for the rest of his life.

"Look, there's something I have to ask you… right now." Damn, he wished his hands would stop trembling like that.

Angela cocked her head a little to the side in that endearing way of hers, and a smile touched her lips. Shawn smiled back and was glad for a break in the tension, but the words that came out of her mouth next seemed to burn a hole straight through his chest.

"You know, because you're the only person who knows how important it is for me and my dad to spend this time together," Angela said softly, stepping back away from him.

The world collapsed.

Shawn felt his insides turn inside out as the gap between them grew. One moment, she was there in his arms, and the next… she was gone, sliding back to her father's side. She was only across the room, but he felt like she was a million miles away.

Angela was talking about… something… Shawn couldn't quite register much of anything at this point, and he was pretty sure he didn't want to. All he knew was that he couldn't ask her now – not like this. Not when she was happy and relieved and finally content, standing in the shelter of her father's arms. Sergeant Moore could give her anything… he could give her a relationship that Shawn simply couldn't offer. And by God, he wanted her to be happy.

He only wanted her to be happy.

He knew his own anguish was a necessary sacrifice. He would give anything in the world for her, but that didn't make it hurt any less, and that didn't make the rapidly widening chasm in his heart wane by any degree.

Shawn let the mask go up. He smiled and his eyes touched hers again. She was so beautiful, standing there as the one point of perfect clarity in the hazy mist of his life. He wondered what she was thinking and hoped with everything in him that she did not mean that they were giving up, even for a little while. He didn't think he could take that. But as long as she had hope, he could have hope too. Shawn found himself staring at her as the seconds passed by like hours. He wasn't a religious person, but there were a million prayers to a million gods racing fervently across his mind, and he noticed that his soul was on its knees, begging for things to be okay in the end. Shawn was never good with being away from someone he loved, but he had no intention of letting this slip, or allowing what they had to be washed away by distance and time. Angela was everything, and they were meant to be together. He knew that.

He had to know that.

The mist in his field of vision cleared as Angela stepped towards him and ran the back of her fingers across his jaw. Shawn's eyes closed briefly as he savored the contact. _I'm happy for her_, he thought. _Smile, damnit._ And so he did. She smiled back and behind the gauze-wrapped moment, Shawn found himself staring into two different worlds. The reality was that the love of his life was leaving for somewhere very far away and that she could – and most likely would – meet an entire continent of new and exciting people in a world that did not include him. The other reality was real only in a vague and transparent sense: it was a world where she was leaving and he was happy for her, and they would both be together in the end, no problems, no hurt, no nothing. Shawn was trapped in the former, but he knew without a doubt that the latter is what Angela needed right now. So he kept smiling, and she kept smiling back, and the mask that smothered stayed right where it was.

**Alright guys, read and review! **


	3. Parallel

**Author's Note: **Bookworm and ToastKitten, you have motivated me P. Everyone, keep in mind that this chapter is still a flashback. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Parallel**

Angela Moore pushed her long, dark hair out of her eyes and over her shoulder. Taking on last glance in the mirror, she flipped the light switch off and grabbed her purse. As she locked her apartment door behind her, a tired sigh escaped her lips. It was going to be a long day.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful for her new job at the firm; it was just so… not her. At first, the idea of a stable career in a law office was appealing, but weeks of attending the same meetings and seeing the same stiff, awkward people made her question her decision to accept the position. But her father had bent over backwards to get the connections for her to work there; she had to stay there whether she liked it or not. Striding briskly down the London sidewalk, Angela thought about her old ambitions of being a writer. Sure, it had been a beautiful dream, but… it simply wasn't realistic. Her current job was stable and solid and offered a future and financial security.

_And that's what I want_ she thought.

In a short ten minutes, her immense law office was there, looming before her, its glass-paneled walls reflecting the sunlight. She strolled through the rotating doors and listened to the click of her stilettos on the cold, tiled floor.

She smiled at the secretary. "Good morning, Crystal."

Crystal looked up from her work and smiled sweetly. "Good morning, Angela."

Angela allowed herself a slight eye roll as she passed by. Every morning, it was the same thing. Everyday, she would walk in, say "good morning" to Crystal, and then stride past Peter from Management. He would have a coffee in his hand and spill a little as she greeted him. Then she would knock on the office door of Linda from PR and deliver the same brown package she did every morning, and the old goat would say "Oh, hello there Ms. Moore. Thanks for the delivery." Angela would nod and shut the door only to run into James from Accounting. He would smile at her suggestively and look her up and down before winking and sauntering off to tap some assistant's ass.

Gripping her purse a little tighter, Angela put an easy smile on her face as Peter approached, fumbling with his paperwork.

"Hi Peter," said Angela.

"Wha-oh! Hi there Angela, good morning," mumbled Peter as hot coffee splashed over his knuckles.

Angela reached into her bag for the wrinkled, brown package and knocked on an office door, letting herself in before the person within could even acknowledge her. Linda cocked her head to the side and placed her batty old hands on her desk.

"Oh, hello there, Ms. Moore. Thanks for the delivery."

Angela nodded, ignoring the woman's semi-sneer and closed the door behind her.

"Hey, Angela."

She turned and found herself staring up at James.

"Good morning, James."

She watched him as his eyes traveled from her legs to her chest to her face. He smiled brilliantly, winked, and strutted off down the hall.

"God, what a moron," mumbled Angela as she walked away and opened the door to her own office. Dumping her bag in the corner, she plopped down on her chair, already feeling like the day had gone on for far too long. Straightening up, she tapped a few keys on her laptop and her e-mail opened up, showing one new message in her inbox. She opened it up.

_Hey Angela!_

_I just wanted to give you another update on the gang. Cory and I have finally moved apartments. Thank God… I was so sick of that old place with the moldy walls and smelly neighbors. But anyways, Eric got a new job as a production manager's assistant. He's been at it for two days, and he hasn't gotten fired yet! Naturally, we all viewed this as a tremendous achievement and celebrated last night with a good movie and lots of cocktails. Jack and Rachel are back from the Peace Corp, as you know. Rachel mentioned that she talked to you just yesterday, so I'm guessing I don't need to really tell you about them. I really wish sometimes that the two of them would date again. Oh well… it's not my business, I guess._

_And also… okay, I know you don't really want to talk about this, but… well, it's about Shawn. I know you two are way over and everything, but Angela… I don't think it's all that simple. He hasn't dated anyone since you left for Europe, and he's just not the same as he used to be. I'm telling you this as a friend. You really should talk to him, straighten things out a bit, you know? At least so you two can be on the same page. He needs answers from you, Angela. _

_Well, I better go, I smell smoke. I'm willing to bet that Cory set the counter on fire again. Call me anytime. _

_-Topanga_

Angela sat and stared at the e-mail for a little while before finally closing it and shutting her laptop. She wished Topanga wouldn't bring him up like that. She had told her a long time ago that she would just prefer to not talk about him – all it ever did was ruin her mood. Hesitating for a second, she reached down and pulled out her bottom drawer. She shuffled through a messy collection of papers, folders, playing cards, and envelopes before she finally curled her fingers around the cold object at the very bottom and pulled it up. She placed it in her lap and gazed at it. The photo had been taken in their sophomore year of college on the stairs that led up to Eric, Jack, and Rachel's apartment. He was sitting there casually with one arm bracing his weight and the other thrown around Angela's waist, who was perched in his lap. She had her arms around his neck and her forehead was pressed against his. It was Cory who had taken the picture, and neither of them had realized it until the film was developed two weeks later. For their anniversary, he had altered the photo to black and white and had it enlarged and framed for her.

Angela slowly turned the picture over and traced the words that were inscribed in the back. _To Angela, the only woman I have and will ever love. Forever is ours. Love, Shawn. _

Since the night they had broken off their relationship, Angela struggled to keep him out of her head and out of her heart. It was only a silly college relationship, she told herself. She was older now, more mature, ready for the real world and real men. But then… sometimes, at night or when she was walking in the rain or when she read a poem that reminded her of him… a forbidden thought rushed across her mind. What if they had stayed together? What if they had fought harder to keep their relationship intact instead of just giving it all up? What would it be like, coming home to Shawn Hunter every night and laying in his arms? What if –

Angela's thoughts were cut off abruptly as her cell phone rang. She flipped it open.

"Hello?"

Angela smiled.

"Yeah, definitely, I'll be right down. It's only 9:30 and I'm already sick of the office. See you soon."

She hung up the phone and smiled at it before tossing it in her purse. She took one last glance at the photo in her lap. Yeah… a life with Shawn would have been interesting, and she might have been happy with him.

Angela shoved the photo back into her drawer and dumped all her papers and folders and random possessions down on top of it before sliding it shut. Shawn had been a major part of her life before she moved to Europe. She couldn't deny it – they had been an amazing couple; they had truly understood each other in ways that no one else did and they were always there for each other, even when their relationship ran in circles through the storm. But then their lives simply stopped running parallel. True - she had loved him, and he had loved her, and maybe they could have made it. But that was the past, and he wasn't a part of her future. She had a new life now.


End file.
